Herald Blogs

From the WTF? Department

A Palm Beach County teenager had anal sex with his mom's male German shepherd and videotaped the act. On Thursday, a judge said the 18-year-old and his mother must surrender their pets to the county.

The mother objected, saying she didn't do anything wrong and was "mortified" to learn of her honor-student son's sick fetish. But the judge took the pets away and ordered $1,800 in court costs.

Here's the thing: Shocking as bestiality is, it's not illegal in Florida. The most prosecutors can hope for is a cruelty-to-animals conviction, but the penalties for that aren't too stiff.

State Sen. Nan Rich from Sunrise tried unsuccessfully this year to pass a law making bestiality illegal. Rich, an child's rights advocate who says animal abusers and child abusers are often one in the same, vowed to refile her bill next year.

Until she does, here's hoping no dog has to endure what the poor shepherd in PBC did.